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Egypt Bans Hamas

On Tuesday, an Egyptian court declared a ban on all activities of Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group that controls neighboring Gaza and is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. The court ordered the closure of Hamas offices in Egypt, but stopped short of declaring Hamas a terrorist group, saying the court did not have the jurisdiction to do so. The ban reflects the military-backed government's effort to crack down on Hamas, which enjoyed favored treatment in Egypt under former president Mohamed Morsi. Egyptian authorities now classify Hamas as a security risk.